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News Article

Detainee Escapes From Abu Ghraib; Three North African Terrorists Killed

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2005  A detainee escaped from the Abu Ghraib theater internment facility in Baghdad, Iraq, early this morning, military officials in Baghdad reported.

At about 6:15 a.m., U.S. forces discovered the detainee was missing during a normal headcount.

The quick reaction force and all available guards responded and conducted a comprehensive search of the interior and exterior perimeter of Abu Ghraib and alerted Iraqi security forces, Iraqi police and other coalition forces. During the search, two holes were found in the fence line surrounding the compound from which the detainee escaped.

The search continues for the missing detainee, officials said. All other detainees at Abu Ghraib have been accounted for.

Elsewhere in Iraq, three North African terrorists were killed during security operations in northern MosulAug. 27. Tips from concerned citizens and recently acquired intelligence led multinational forces to a safe house, where they found and killed the foreign terrorists.

The terrorists killed were Abu Mujahir, Abu Dur and Abu Uthman. Mujahir, a Tunisian, was a facilitator of foreign fighters and foreign suicide bombers in the Mosul area. He is also alleged to have received and dispersed money from Abu Khallad to finance fighters under his control. Khallad's death at the hands of coalition forces was officially reported on Aug. 27.

Dur, an Algerian, was subordinate to Muhajir and helped him direct foreign fighters as well as numerous bombing attacks in the Mosul area. Uthman, also an Algerian, was another subordinate of Muhajir and a facilitator of foreign fighter.

"The killing of these foreign terrorists and capture and killing of more than 100 other foreign fighters during the last six months in the Mosul area continues to demonstrate the coalition's success in disrupting the al Qaida ... terrorist network and those who support them," said Army Col. Billy J. Buckner, a Multinational Corps Iraq spokesman.

The safe house where the incident occurred was used to hide foreign fighters from local Iraqis. As coalition forces approached the house, they were fired on by the terrorists. Coalition forces immediately returned fire and killed all three individuals.

In other Iraq news, Task Force Baghdad units responded to a terrorist attack on an Iraqi police convoy around 11:20 a.m. today in central Baghdad. The attack killed and wounded several Iraqi police.

One civilian was killed and another was wounded by small-arms fire during the attack.

Task Force Baghdad ground and air assets assisted Iraqi security forces in securing the site of the ambush. After discovering an abandoned car with explosives material, weapons and a cell phone, units began searching the area for the terror suspects, who were believed to have fled on foot.

Task Force Baghdad units provided ground evacuation of the wounded to local area hospitals.

Elsewhere, Task Force Liberty soldiers and Iraqi police captured a terrorist after responding to an explosion at a house in Kirkuk Aug. 27. The explosion killed one terrorist and wounded another.

The soldiers and police found three improvised explosive devices and bomb-making materials, including four shaped charges and a duffel bag of plastic explosives. The house was evacuated and explosive ordnance personnel destroyed the IEDs and explosives.

In other developments, multinational forces from Task Force Freedom killed one terrorist and seized a weapons cache Aug. 26 and 27.

Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, discovered a weapons cache consisting of rockets, grenades, a machine gun, five mortar tubes, six explosives, a rocket, and hundreds of various rounds while conducting operations in Mulhallabiyah Aug. 27.

Soldiers from 2/3 ACR also killed one terrorist during operations in Tal Afar Aug. 26.

Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, confiscated several weapons and ammunition while searching homes from Rabiyah to Avgani Aug. 26. Weapons and ammunition were confiscated for future destruction.

In other operations, U.S. Marines transported children to a local hospital following a terrorist rocket attack in Ferris Aug. 27. Seven children were wounded and one was killed in the attack. A local doctor treated the wounded children. Marines are currently building an operating base in the city.